Ethnography of Communication

Critical vocabulary and conceptual frameworks related to the Ethnography of Communication and Dell Hymes' SPEAKING model.

Ethnography of Communication

A field rooted in anthropology and linguistics that investigates how language is used within specific cultural and social contexts to sustain and transform culture.

Ethnography of Speaking

A concept formulated by Dell Hymes in 1962 to describe the communication process during speech; it was later redefined in 1964 to include writing.

Dell Hymes

The scholar who formulated 'Ethnography of speaking' (1962) and identified the components necessary for the interpretation of speech.

SPEAKING

An acronymic heuristic representing Hymes' framework: Setting/Scene, Participants, Ends, Act sequences, Key, Instrumentalities, Norms, and Genres.

Setting/Scene

The physical time and location of a speech event, as well as the psychological setting and degree of formality.

Participants

The speaker (performing the speech act) and the audience (those being addressed), who do not necessarily have to be physically present.

Ends

The purpose, goal, or outcome of the communication, such as educating, entertaining, or promoting a view.

Act Sequence

The specific form and order that a communicative event follows, such as starting a story with "once upon a time."

Key

The tone, manner, or facial expression used during a speech event, such as a serious tone when warning or a relaxed tone during banter.

Instrumentalities

The style, forms, and channels of communication adopted, such as choosing between formal words like "convenience" or informal words like "loo."

Norms

The social rules governing how people behave, act, and react within a specific speech community.

Genre

The specific kind of speech act being performed, identified according to the conventions of different speech communities.

Linguistic Anthropology

A hybrid discipline combining methods from Anthropology and Linguistics to investigate human interaction based on community practices and real events.